CRKT Ripple 2 Thoughts

When I was first getting into knives, the CRKT Ripple was one of my dream knives. It combined a great looking design with CRKT's iconic IKBS ball-bearing system. I tried a bronze Ripple a few years ago though found it too large for my EDC. Then I was gifted the Ripple 2 and found the slightly smaller size to be perfect. I believe these specifically have since been discontinued, but there is a Ripple with a lesser steel still available.

Starting with the design by Ken Onion, it has such a classy and cool look. As the name suggests, the handle has a series of ripples/holes that also function to add more grip. I absolutely love the blue as well. Back when they were still being made, I think you could at least get them in black as well.

The Ripple 2 has a 2.625" blade with Acuto+ steel. I find this size to be the perfect middle ground for still being able to handle basic EDC tasks without taking up a large footprint. I don't have a ton of experience with Acuto+, but it's been sharp enough for my needs. The blade has a good shape and cuts everything I've thrown at it. I've got no complaints when it comes to the blade. 

The handles are made of stainless steel with the cool machining that adds a nice texture. They come in just under 4" long. This version has blue titanium nitride coating which has held up very well. They've been hand buffed to show off some of the plain stainless steel along the high points of the handle too. This is a neat detail that adds a distressed look to slightly contrast the blue.

With the IKBS ball-bearing system, the action is so smooth and quick. I do find the flipper tab to be a tad too pointy, so at times it'll irritate my finger. Last point on the handle, the framelock is solid with little to no blade play.

The ergonomics are surprisingly comfortable for a knife with metal handles. For me, metal handles are always hit or miss due to their likelihood for hotspots. The one-finger choil helps lock in my hand, and I'm able to fit a full four-finger grip. There's some jimping along the spine that adds some extra grip on top of the textured handles. 

As far as how it carries, it carries well thanks to its slimness all around. The clip is right-hand tip-down only. I don't love the look of it, but it does carry relatively deeply. I do prefer tip-up carry personally though tip-down is not a deal breaker for me. It's got a little heft to it compared to the lightweight knives I'm used to.

You can see how slim the profile of the knife is. It's perfect for carrying in the waistband. Looking at Blade HQ, it looks like it was priced around $80. That seems like a fair price given the quality and design. 

All in all, the CRKT Ripple 2 is a great, classy knife that performs well for EDC tasks. It's not one of my favorite EDC knives compared to the Spyderco Ladybug or Ontario Rat 2. However, it's a cool piece for the collection and is fun to play with when sitting at home. There's no major flaws, besides the flipper tab being too sharp for me. Thanks for looking!

State of knifegirlAlly

Hi everyone! I know it's been quite a while since I posted on here. That seems to be the common cycle these past couple of years. I get really into posting and then go silent for months or a year at a time. I've been spending more time recently looking into what I've missed in the community. I figured I'd put out an update and let you all know what to expect going forward.

Starting with YouTube, I ended up setting all my videos to private back at the beginning of this year. I hadn't posted in a while anyways, and it's honestly something I don't want up at this moment. I originally started uploading videos when I was a freshman in high school in 2012. A lot has changed since then, and I don't have the same interest in being on YouTube anymore. I don't watch any EDC videos these days and don't have much to add in terms of content. I'm not buying any new gear either, so my EDC stays pretty consistent. I decided not to permanently delete everything, since I did that once and regretted it. Who knows, maybe I'll make them public again in the future. I apologize to anyone that enjoyed the videos. 

For the blog, I'm still planning to post occasionally as I have free time. With everything going on with the pandemic, I want some sort of creative outlet and this is the perfect place for that. I've always wanted to finish writing about all of the gear I own, so I'm still interested in working on. I'm getting into backpacking which I may start posting about too. There may be other random posts, as I've always felt I've had more flexibility with what I can post on here.

I'm still undecided on whether I'll get back into posting on Instagram. I find the platform really annoying, since they littered it with ads and took away chronological posting. It's way too hard to keep up with the accounts I care about. Again, it's one of those things where I don't feel like I have much to add since my carry stays the same.

I'll keep it brief for now, but stick around for more posts in the future, though no promises on any sort of frequency. Thanks for keeping up with me all these years! It's crazy to think I've been doing this for so long and am now out in the real world. Unfortunately, it's not the the post-college life I expected though. I appreciate the support and have enjoyed getting to know all of you. Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see me post about. It's not as easy to have the community aspect on here, but the comments do work and my email is always open.